Where Can I Find Divorce Laws In My State

Where Can I Find Divorce Laws In My State

The laws that govern divorce and family law matters are state-specific. There are several places in which a person can find and research the laws of his state on the topic of divorce. Those locations range from sources of hard copy materials to online data to live assistance from professionals.

Hard Copy Materials On Divorce Laws

A person seeking to research divorce laws for her state can access copies of those laws at the nearest law school library. The statutes for the state, as well as the index and any annotations, amendments and other commentaries, are all found at such libraries. Usually, reference librarians, staff members or students are available who can likely assist with conducting this research. Libraries also have copy machines to make copies of key pages of materials, as the statute books are reference materials not typically in circulation.

In addition, some courthouses have law libraries open to the general public, and such hard copy material can be found there. Local law firms may also have hard copy libraries and may be willing to provide access to such materials.

Online Materials On Divorce Laws

Parties seeking state-specific divorce law information need go no farther than the Internet. Several websites have listings of each of the 50 states with links to those states' specific divorce laws. Some of the websites link to state statutes, family courts, divorce-specific reference sites and information sources. The following list is a good starting place for conducting online research for divorce information for a particular state:

Also available are online research services and databases that have subscriber fees, such as Westlaw® and LexisNexis®. These services are available online if you sign up for the research service or at some local law school or courthouse law libraries. You can set up queries online in a search language to find statutory authorities, as well as secondary source materials like reviews, treatises, and commentaries.

Live Assistance From Professionals On Divorce Laws

Lawyers; reference librarians at law firms, courthouse libraries and law schools; and law professors are examples of the types of professionals who may be available by phone, e-mail or in person to address questions about divorce laws specific to a certain state's jurisdiction. These parties may be able to provide substantive assistance for free or a fee, or at least direct a person to other sources for further information.